zing6 jing1 jing1靜英英静英英
Jyutpingzing6 jing1 jing1
Yalejihng yīng yīng
Definition
Very quiet or desolate, especially of a place or venue with little to no activity.
colloquialdescriptionsplaces
How it's used
This reduplicated adjective emphasizes an eerie or unnatural silence in a space that is usually expected to be busy. It carries a slightly stronger nuance than just 靜, often implying that the lack of activity is noticeable or even slightly unsettling. It is almost exclusively used to describe physical environments rather than the personality of a person.
Examples
The house is deathly quiet, I wonder where they went?
Why is the street so deserted? Is today a holiday?
Related words
Common phrases
quiet and deserted with no one around
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe a person who is quiet or reserved, as that would be better expressed with 靜 or 內向. It is strictly reserved for describing the atmosphere of a location or a scene.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
